[King Glorious]

Originally Posted by blackthroatedwind

I'm curious KG, and forgive me if you have already answered this as I don't have the patience to read this entire thread, if you knew before this weekend that Zenyatta was returning next year, would you ( personally ) have been more forgiving towards the connections for running in the Distaff?

There is a fine line that's in play here. On one hand, I absolutely wanted to see her in the Classic this year. I thought she fit and that she deserved a shot at history. But at the same time, while I may call her connections chickens, I could understand the how they were feeling. Shirreffs obviously spends more time with her than I do and knows her better and if he didn't feel like she was up to it, you have to defer to that even though it's disappointing to you as a fan. Maybe he felt mentally she wasn't up to it or maybe it was physically. That part, I could understand. But the problem that I have is when you decide that you aren't going to take that road and then campaign in the media about what how your horse deserves to be recognized. I say take your Distaff trophy and check and be satisfied with that. That's the path you chose. Don't say that the reward is not worth the risk......and then campaign for the reward after not taking the risk. And maybe it wasn't his intention but to bring up Eight Belles and suggest that had a part in why he didn't want to run the risk? I personally feel that was an attempt to get a few people that would hold it against him for not running in the Classic to say "yeah, I can understand where he's coming from" and not hold it against him. There are too many countless example of females that run successfully against the boys and don't die for him to use that example as justification for not trying it.

I've said a lot but to answer your question, no, I would not have been more forgiving. You know as well as anyone with these animals that tomorrow is not promised. Sometimes, there is a limited window of opportunity there to take shots at history. Azeri is a very recent and similar example to Zenyatta. Her best shot would have been 2002 when she was at her best. Zenyatta may never be better than she is now and the opportunity may never be as good as it was Saturday. It's like those trainers that skip the BC Juvenile with a horse that's ready to win now because they are trying to save something for the Derby. Skipping today for a race six months down the line has never been something I would subscribe too. I've always believed in strike while the iron is hot.